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SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
may flourish in the heart. Every true Christian will develop
in his life the characteristics of this divine love, he will re-
veal a spirit of forbearance, of beneficence, and a freedom
from envy and jealousy. This character developed in word,
and act will not repulse, and will not be unapproachable, cold,
and indifferent to the interests of others. The person who cul-
tivates the precious plant of love will be self-denying in spirit,
and will not yield self-control even under provocation. He
will not impute wrong motives and evil intentions to others,
but will feel deeply over sin when discovered in any of the
disciples of Christ."
— Id., p. 123.
3.
"God's love for us is proved daily; yet we are thought-
less of His favors and indifferent to His entreaties. He seeks
to impress us with His spirit of tenderness, His love and for-
bearance; but we scarcely recognize the marks of His kind-
ness, and have little sense of the lesson of love He desires us
to learn. Some, like Haman, forget all God's favors, because
Mordecai is before them and is not disgraced; because their
hearts are filled with enmity and hatred, rather than love,
the spirit of our dear Redeemer, who gave His precious life
for His enemies. We profess to have the same Father, to be
bound to the same immortal home, to enjoy the same solemn
faith, and to believe the same testing message; and yet many
are at strife with one another like quarrelsome children. Some
who are engaged in the same branch of the work are at vari-
ance with one another, and therefore at variance with the
spirit of Christ"—
Id., vol. .4, pp. 222, 223.
4.
"There are many in our world who are starving for
the love and sympathy which should be given them. Many
men love their wives, but are too selfish to manifest it. They
have a false dignity and pride, and will not show their love
by words and deeds. There are many men who never know
how starved is the heart of the wife for words of tender ap-
preciation and affection. They bury their loved ones from their
sight, and murmur at the providence of God that has deprived
them of their companions, when, could they look into the
inner life of those companions, they would see that their own
course was the cause of their premature death. The reli-
gion of Christ will lead us to be kind and courteous, and not
so tenacious of our opinions. We should die to self, and
esteem others better than ourselves."—
Id., vol. 3; pp. 527, 528.
5.
"We must let Christ into our hearts and homes if we
would walk in the light. Home should be made all that the
word implies. It should be a little heaven upon earth, a place
where the affections are cultivated instead of being studiously
repressed. Our happiness depends upon this cultivation of
love, sympathy, and true courtesy to one another."—
Id.,
p.
539.